


A Friend In Need

by Drarrymadhatter



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: 8th year, Dead Pet, Friendship, Gen, Grief, Other, Post War, Struggling Harry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:40:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25924537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Drarrymadhatter/pseuds/Drarrymadhatter
Summary: It's 8th year and Harry is making the most of a deserted castle on a Hogsmeade weekend. However, he unexpectedly comes across Luna and Neville, and he finds himself an impromptu mourner at a pet funeral.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	A Friend In Need

A gust of breeze caressed Harry’s face, shifting his fringe across his scar and bringing with it the sweet smells of spring. He couldn’t help smile into it, breathing in promises of new beginnings. He knew his friends thought he was mad for not going to Hogsmeade, but the last thing he wanted was to go to a busy place filled with people gawking at him every thirty seconds. He got enough of it when moving around the school. It always baffled him how people thought it was acceptable to ask him for an autograph when he’s rushing to class, or — as had happened that very morning — ask him if he wanted to go on a date whilst he was on the toilet! No, what he needed was peace and quiet. Besides, this way Ron and Hermione got to have some alone time. At least, that’s how he sold them on it, guaranteeing himself several hours of peace. 

He pushed his hands into his jeans pockets and pressed on, keeping close to the Forbidden Forest treeline. It was strange, uncanny. On the surface, everything looked the same as it always had. Hagrid’s cabin was still there, smoke coming out of the chimney in short cloudy blasts. The lake shimmered in the sunshine as the Giant Squid scooted smoothly backwards and forwards. The castle — Merlin, the castle — still tall and proud and strong. Still inviting and beautiful and home. But they weren’t. It was like a mirage was shimmering everywhere he looked. Everyone seemed to accept it, revel in how put together the whole place looked. He didn’t. He couldn’t help but focus on the soot tinged stones surrounding Hagrid’s cabin, how the vegetable patch was ruined, still refusing to yield any crops no matter what Hagrid tried. He could see the lopsided way the Giant Squid swam as he tried to compensate for the few tentacles he lost whilst taking on a wayward giant amidst the chaos of the final battle. He could see the cracks and holes in the castle. How the atmosphere around it, though still strong, was as thick as paste with grief and death and things seen too young to ever be forgotten.

He forced himself to continue walking, refusing to let himself dwell on the past. That’s what his therapist kept saying to him —  _ Don’t dwell, Harry. Focus on the new. It’s time to heal and change and grow.  _ Harry always managed to resist rolling his eyes at her. But only just. 

After a few minutes, Harry’s attention was drawn by what looked like Luna and a hunched over Neville walking quickly across the grounds, carrying a bundle. He felt his forehead crinkle with curiosity as he watched their progress across the grounds until they disappeared into the trees.  _ That’s strange _ , thought Harry.  _ Luna usually tells me if she’s missing Hogsmeade. _ As much as Ron and Hermione were his best friends and always would be, he’d been socialising the most with Luna. There was just something calming about her, and she seemed to understand what he was going through and what he needed. Often, that was the same as what she needed too. He honestly had no idea if he would have been able to survive being back at school without her. The fact that she hadn’t mentioned staying at the castle was a bit off, and Neville too. He supposed it was possible that they were in some kind of trouble, but if there was ever a duo capable of handling themselves, it would be Luna and Neville. In the end, he decided to follow them and just make sure they were alright, if for no other reason than to satisfy his curiosity.

Harry stooped under low branches and stepped nimbly over roots as he followed the vague path of trampled foliage. After a minute or two, he stepped out into a small clearing, littered with tree stumps and rocks. Luna was kneeling gracefully on the forest floor next to Neville, who was bent almost double and shaking. Just in front of them was a small but deep hole and a bundle of...something lying next to it. Her hand was stroking up and down his back slowly and she was singing a low, siren-like song.  _ Merlin, she looks like a wood nymph! _ Harry felt stupid at such a thought, but it was true. Her long blonde hair was loose and flowing down her back and slightly over her shoulders, in perfect stark contrast to the moss green toga-style dress she wore. As he was looking at her, her eyes met his and she silently beckoned him to come over. As he stepped closer, however, he realised that Neville was sobbing silently, his back quivering with sadness.

He quietly lowered himself to the ground beside Luna and mouthed “what?” at her. If something had happened, if someone had hurt Neville in any way, he would make sure they regretted it. Luna stopped her singing and smiled gently at Harry, before shifting closer to Neville.

“Look, Harry’s come. Won’t you let him be with you too?” Her words did nothing to clarify why Neville was so upset, or why they were sitting in the forest next to a rather deep looking hole. However, he knew better than to push and anyway, Luna would explain in her own time if she felt it was necessary. Neville gave an audible sigh and slowly sat upright, fixing Harry with puffy red eyes.

“Trevor...he was sleeping on my pillow and I couldn’t wake him up—” Neville succumbed once again to sobs, and Harry felt his heart drop into his stomach. Neville had gotten Trevor as a gift for starting at Hogwarts just as he had gotten Hedwig. His stomach lurched as he thought of the lancing pain that had shot through him when Hedwig died, and he knew that Neville was feeling the same way.

“Neville found Trevor had passed on to the next stage of life.” Luna smiled gently, continuing to stroke Neville’s back as she spoke. “I found him in the common room rather upset and we agreed to give him a memorial. Isn’t that nice, Harry?”

At her words, Neville’s head shot up and he glared blearily at Harry as if daring him to laugh or jeer at mourning his dead pet. 

“Nev, I’m so sorry. That must have been horrible, finding him like that.” Seeing that Harry’s words were sincere, Neville gave Harry a weak watery smile and lowered his eyes to the bundle in front of him. 

“Thanks, Harry. I know it’s stupid, but he was my friend.” Neville spoke so softly that Harry almost missed his words, but hearing them made him want to punch anyone who would dare laugh at his friend. 

“When Hedwig died, I felt like I had lost one of the most important people in my life. I didn’t have her body so I couldn’t bury her or anything, but look—” Harry lifted his left wrist and pulled back the sleeve of his jumper to reveal a simple leather cord with a metal medallion hanging from it. “I got her name put on this so that I always have her with me. I’m glad you’re able to bury Trevor and I know you’ll give him the send off he deserves.” Harry paused, waiting for Neville to look him in the eye again. “And if you’ll have me, I would be honoured to help celebrate his life with you.”

Neville, overcome by Harry’s offer, let out a loud sob and threw his arms around Harry’s neck, almost knocking him flat. Once Neville had released Harry and they had arranged themselves back around the hole in the ground, Luna withdrew her wand and began to sing once again. As she sang she slowly moved her wand in slow intricate circles and swirls. Slowly the leaves and twigs on the ground around them began to bend and twist and fuse together, until at last, there was a beautiful box sitting in front of her. She lifted the lid off of the leaf-twig box and gave her wand another wave, then she smiled happily when the box was suddenly lined in the softest, most fragrant moss Harry had ever seen. 

“There! We want Trevor to be comfortable on his new journey. Neville, would you like to place him inside the box?”

Neville nodded, clearly unable to speak, then gently lifted the bundle and placed it inside the box. 

“Bye, Trev,” whispered Neville, amidst sniffs and sobs. Luna patted his knee for a moment, then she reached for a small bag that was hidden behind her. 

“I brought something along, if that’s ok?” Slowly, she pulled two white and green gemstones out of the bag and set them on her knee. “First, I brought one of the gemstones for Trevor.” She leaned forwards and placed one of the gemstones on top of the bundle inside the box gently. “It’s a green moss agate. It’s believed that Mother Nature has her power inside them, helping those who pass into the next life along in their rebirth.” She paused briefly, fixing Neville with her lovely eyes and pressing the other gemstone into Neville’s hand. “It also eases troubled minds and helps those who need it to find acceptance.” 

Neville smiled at Luna and clutched the gemstone so tightly that Harry could see his knuckles going white. “I erm...I also brought something.” Neville reached into his hoodie pocket and pulled out a small photo album. “I’ve had this for a while. I got it for one of my birthdays.” He took a moment, cleared his throat, and continued. “He was always getting up to stuff or into things, and I know how forgetful I can be and I never wanted to forget. It’s horrible, when people don’t remember—” Harry knew that Neville was thinking of his parents and how they were lost somewhere in their minds, never remembering, never knowing, and fought the urge to wrap the boy in a bone-crushing hug. Neville seemed to rally himself enough to finish his explanation. “It has pictures of me and him. I made a duplicate so we could both have one, so he could take it with him—”

“That’s beautiful, Neville. I’m sure Trevor will love remembering you.” Luna helped Neville put the photo album inside the box, so it wasn’t crushing Trevor, before replacing the lid and settling the box inside the hole. With a wave of her wand, the hole was filled in with a smooth round mound of dirt. Silently sobbing, Neville lifted his own wand and conjured a beautiful soft-looking flower, firmly planting its roots on top of where Trevor was concealed. 

“A Gladiolus,” explained Luna, catching Harry’s questioning look. “It’s a sign of friendship, and it’s believed that when you give one to someone, you’re signalling that they’ve taken a piece of your heart with them.”

Harry placed his hand on Neville’s shoulder just as Luna leaned her head to rest on his shoulder on the other side, not seeming to care that her head was quivering each time Neville’s shoulder shook with grief. Neville’s sobbing breaths and the leaves rustling in the breeze were the only sounds as they sat together, all of them locked in their own moments of sadness, all of them trying to find a way to move forward. As the hours slid by, they continued to hold each other and watch the Gladiolus wave gently in the spring breeze, as the light slowly began to dim around them.

  
  



End file.
